Abraham m English, Hebrew, Spanish, French, Dutch, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical German, Biblical Swedish, Biblical Norwegian, Biblical Danish, Biblical Latin [1] From the Hebrew name
אַבְרָהָם (ʾAvraham), which may be viewed either as meaning
"father of many" or else as a contraction of
Abram 1 and
הָמוֹן (hamon) meaning "many, multitude"
[2] [3] . The biblical patriarch Abraham was originally named Abram but God changed his name (see
Genesis 17:5). With his father
Terah, he led his wife
Sarah, his nephew
Lot and their other followers from Ur into Canaan. He is regarded by Jews as being the founder of the Hebrews through his son
Isaac and by Muslims as being the founder of the Arabs through his son
Ishmael.
... [more] Amelia f English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Medieval French Variant of
Amalia, though it is sometimes confused with
Emilia, which has a different origin
[1] [2] . The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century — it was borne by daughters of both George II and George III. The author Henry Fielding used it for the title character in his novel
Amelia (1751). Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.
... [more] Barclay m English (Rare) From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from the English place name
Berkeley, itself from Old English
beorc "birch" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Bathsheba f Biblical Means
"daughter of the oath" in Hebrew, derived from
בַּת (baṯ) meaning "daughter" and
שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". According to the Old Testament, this was the name of a woman married to
Uriah the Hittite. She became pregnant by King
David, so he arranged to have her husband killed in battle and then married her. She was the mother of
Solomon.
Bayard m Carolingian Cycle Derived from Old French
baiart meaning
"bay coloured". In medieval French poetry Bayard was a bay horse owned by Renaud de Montauban and his brothers. The horse could magically adjust its size to carry multiple riders.
Caleb m English, Biblical Most likely related to Hebrew
כֶּלֶב (kelev) meaning
"dog" [1] . An alternate theory connects it to Hebrew
כֹּל (kol) meaning "whole, all of"
[2] and
לֵב (lev) meaning "heart"
[3] . In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve spies sent by
Moses into Canaan. Of the Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, Caleb and
Joshua were the only ones who lived to see the Promised Land.
... [more] Carrie f English Diminutive of
Caroline. This name declined in use shortly after the 1976 release of the horror movie
Carrie, which was based on a 1974 novel by Stephen King.
Clive m English From an English surname derived from Old English
clif meaning
"cliff", originally belonging to a person who lived near a cliff.
Connor m Irish, English (Modern) Variant of
Conor, based on the usual spelling of the surname that is derived from the name. This is currently the most common way of spelling it in the English-speaking world, apart from Ireland.
Constantine 1 m History From the Latin name
Constantinus, a derivative of
Constans [1] [2] . Constantine the Great (272-337), full name Flavius Valerius Constantinus, was the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity. He moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (modern Istanbul).
Cuthbert m English (Rare) Derived from the Old English elements
cuþ "known, familiar" and
beorht "bright"
[1] [2] [3] . Saint Cuthbert was a 6th-century hermit who became the bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. He was known as performer of healing miracles. Because of the saint, this name remained in use in England even after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was (briefly) revived in the 19th century.
Damon m Greek Mythology, English Derived from Greek
damazo) meaning
"to tame". According to Greek legend, Damon and Pythias were friends who lived on Syracuse in the 4th century BC. When Pythias was sentenced to death, he was allowed to temporarily go free on the condition that Damon take his place in prison. Pythias returned just before Damon was to be executed in his place, and the king was so impressed with their loyalty to one another that he pardoned Pythias. As an English given name, it has only been regularly used since the 20th century.
Declan m Irish, English Anglicized form of Irish
Deaglán, Old Irish
Declán, which is of unknown meaning, though it likely begins with the Old Irish prefix
dag "good". Saint Declan was a 5th-century missionary to the Déisi peoples of Ireland and the founder of the monastery at Ardmore.
... [more] Edmond m French, Albanian French and Albanian form of
Edmund. A notable bearer was the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742), for whom Halley's comet is named.
Edwin m English, Dutch Means
"rich friend", from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
wine "friend"
[1] [2] [3] . This was the name of a 7th-century Northumbrian king, regarded as a saint. After the Norman Conquest the name was not popular, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century. A notable bearer was the astronaut Edwin Aldrin (1930-), also known as
Buzz, the second man to walk on the moon.
Elias m Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English, Dutch, Greek, Amharic, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] Form of
Elijah used in several languages. This is also the form used in the Greek New Testament, as well as some English translations.
Elton m English, Portuguese (Brazilian), Albanian, Swedish (Modern) From an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"Ella's town". A famous bearer of this name is British musician Elton John (1947-), born Reginald Dwight, who adopted his stage name in honour of his former bandmate Elton Dean (1945-2006).
Enid f Welsh, English, Arthurian Cycle Probably derived from Welsh
enaid meaning
"soul, spirit, life". In Arthurian tales she first appears in the 12th-century French poem
Erec and Enide by Chrétien de Troyes, where she is the wife of Erec. In later adaptations she is typically the wife of
Geraint. The name became more commonly used after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian poem
Enid in 1859, and it was fairly popular in Britain in the first half of the 20th century.
Esther f English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek From the Hebrew name
אֶסְתֵר (ʾEsṯer), which possibly means
"star" in Persian
[1] [2] . Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess
Ishtar [3] . The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor
Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin
Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was
Hadassah .
... [more] Florence f & m English, French From the Latin name
Florentius or the feminine form
Florentia, which were derived from
florens "prosperous, flourishing" [1] .
Florentius was borne by many early Christian saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.
... [more] Geoffrey m English, French From a Norman French form of a Frankish name. The second element is Old German
fridu "peace", while the first element could be *
gautaz "Geat" (a North Germanic tribe),
gawi "territory" or
walah "foreigner"
[1] [2] [3] [4] . It is possible that two or more names merged into a single form
[5] [6] . In the later Middle Ages
Geoffrey was further confused with the distinct name
Godfrey .
... [more] Gordon m Scottish, English From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Berwickshire, itself derived from Brythonic elements meaning
"spacious fort" [1] [2] . It was originally used in honour of Charles George Gordon (1833-1885), a British general who died defending the city of Khartoum in Sudan.
... [more] Haven f & m English From the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English
hæfen.
Herbert m English, German, Dutch, Czech, Swedish, French Derived from the Old German elements
heri "army" and
beraht "bright"
[1] [2] [3] [4] . It was borne by two Merovingian Frankish kings, usually called
Charibert. The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate
Herebeorht [5] . In the course of the Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Hester f English, Dutch, Biblical Latin Latin form of
Esther. Like
Esther, it has been used in England since the Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel
The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman forced to wear a red letter
A on her chest after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.
Humphrey m English From the Old German elements
hun "bear cub" and
fridu "peace"
[1] [2] [3] . The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Hunfrith, and it was regularly used through the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the American actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957), who starred in
The Maltese Falcon and
Casablanca.
Isabel f Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German, Dutch Medieval Occitan form of
Elizabeth. It spread throughout Spain, Portugal and France, becoming common among the royalty by the 12th century. It grew popular in England in the 13th century after Isabella of Angoulême married the English king John, and it was subsequently bolstered when Isabella of France married Edward II the following century.
... [more] Jan 1 m Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Polish, Slovene, German, Catalan, Sorbian Form of
Johannes used in various languages. This name was borne by the Czech church reformer Jan Hus (1370-1415), the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), and the Dutch painters Jan Steen (1626-1679) and Jan Vermeer (1632-1675).
Jemima f Biblical, English Traditionally said to mean
"dove", it may actually be related to Hebrew
יוֹמָם (yomam) meaning
"daytime" [1] . This was the oldest of the three daughters of
Job in the Old Testament. As an English name,
Jemima first became common during the Puritan era.
Jocelyn f & m English, French From a Frankish masculine name, variously written as
Gautselin,
Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element *
gautaz , which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats, combined with a Latin diminutive suffix
[1] [2] . The Normans brought this name to England in the form
Goscelin or
Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century
[3] . It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname
Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.
Kenneth m Scottish, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian Anglicized form of both
Coinneach and
Cináed [1] . This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was popularized outside of Scotland by Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his 1825 novel
The Talisman [2] . A famous bearer was the British novelist Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), who wrote
The Wind in the Willows.
Levi m Hebrew, English, Dutch, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin Possibly means
"joined, attached" in Hebrew
[1] . As told in the Old Testament, Levi was the third son of
Jacob and
Leah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites, known as the Levites. This was the tribe that formed the priestly class of the Israelites. The brothers
Moses and
Aaron were members. This name also occurs in the New Testament, where it is borne by a son of
Alphaeus. He might be the same person as the apostle
Matthew.
... [more] Lewis m English Medieval English form of
Louis. A famous bearer was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), the author of
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This was also the surname of C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), the author of the
Chronicles of Narnia series.
Lillian f English Probably originally a diminutive of
Elizabeth [1] . It may also be considered an elaborated form of
Lily, from the Latin word for "lily"
lilium [2] . This name has been used in England since the 16th century.
Lucretia f Ancient Roman, Roman Mythology Feminine form of the Roman family name
Lucretius, possibly from Latin
lucrum meaning
"profit, wealth". According Roman legend Lucretia was a maiden who was raped by the son of the king of Rome. This caused a great uproar among the Roman citizens, and the monarchy was overthrown. This name was also borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from Mérida, Spain.
Marjorie f English Medieval variant of
Margery, influenced by the name of the herb
marjoram. After the Middle Ages this name was rare, but it was revived at the end of the 19th century.
Molly f English Medieval diminutive of
Mary, now often used independently
[1] [2] . It developed from
Malle and
Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel
Ulysses (1922), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.
Muriel f English, French, Irish, Scottish, Medieval Breton (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Irish
Muirgel and Scottish
Muireall. A form of this name was also used in Brittany, and it was first introduced to medieval England by Breton settlers in the wake of the Norman Conquest. In the modern era it was popularized by a character from Dinah Craik's novel
John Halifax, Gentleman (1856).
Myrtle f English Simply from the English word
myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek
myrtos) [1] . It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
Noah 1 m English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch (Modern), French (Modern), Biblical From the Hebrew name
נֹחַ (Noaḥ) meaning
"rest, repose", derived from the root
נוּחַ (nuaḥ) [1] [2] [3] . According to the Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the Great Flood. After the flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. He was the father of
Shem,
Ham and
Japheth.
... [more] Olive f English, French From the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin
oliva.
Oliver m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian Cycle From Old French
Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin
oliva "olive tree" [1] . Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse
Áleifr (see
Olaf) or Frankish
Alawar (see
Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word
[2] [3] . In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero
Roland.
... [more] Parker m & f English From an English occupational surname that meant
"keeper of the park".
Rebecca f English, Italian, Swedish, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin From the Hebrew name
רִבְקָה (Rivqa), probably from a Semitic root meaning
"join, tie, snare" [1] . This is the name of the wife of
Isaac and the mother of
Esau and
Jacob in the Old Testament. It came into use as an English Christian name after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular with the Puritans in the 17th century
[2] . It has been consistently used since then, becoming especially common in the second half of the 20th century.
... [more] Rosalind f English Derived from the Old German elements
hros meaning "horse" and
lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender"
[1] [2] [3] . The Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase
rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy
As You Like It (1599).
Rufus m Ancient Roman [1] , English, Biblical Roman cognomen meaning
"red-haired" in Latin
[2] [3] . Several early saints had this name, including one mentioned in one of
Paul's epistles in the New Testament. As a nickname it was used by William II Rufus, a king of England, because of his red hair. It came into general use in the English-speaking world after the Protestant Reformation.
Taylor m & f English From an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French
tailleur, ultimately from Latin
talio "to cut"
[1] .
... [more] Ursula f English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Ancient Roman [1] [2] Roman cognomen meaning
"little bear", derived from a diminutive form of the Latin word
ursa "she-bear"
[1] [3] . Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.
Waldo 1 m English From a surname that was derived from the Anglo-Scandinavian given name
Waltheof [1] . Its present use in the English-speaking world is usually in honour of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American transcendentalist, poet and author. His name came from a surname from his father's side of the family.